In a dual mode wireless transmitter, a first mode of operation may have a first power requirement/characteristic, and a second mode may have a second power requirement/characteristic. Consequently, the different modes may make such a transmitter suitable for use in different devices/environments.
For example, the first mode may be used when the transmitter is installed in a gaming device, such as a joystick or other controller. In this mode of operation, the transmitter output power (e.g., 6 dBm) may be required to be sufficient to communicate with a gaming console across a limited range wireless connection (e.g., from a user to a nearby television or other monitor). Meanwhile, the second mode may be used, for example, where the transmitter is installed in a cellular application such as a cellular phone or a personal digital assistant (PDA). In this second mode of operation, the output power (e.g., 0 dBm) may be lower than in the first mode of operation, but may be amplified by an external, off-chip amplifier that is used to carry the signal to its intended destination.
Such a dual mode transmitter may be manufactured as part of an integrated circuit on a microchip (or “chip”), and, during development, manufacture, or production, may be configured for the desired output power for the intended application. In this way, the resulting chip may be used in different settings (such as, for example, the gaming or cellular settings just mentioned). To achieve this flexibility, however, the transmitter may be “over-designed” to some extent, since capabilities needed for one mode may not be needed (and hence, may be wasted) in the other mode. In particular, the ability to produce higher power in one mode may not be needed in the other mode, so that battery life may be unnecessarily reduced in the latter mode.